The Lad came East to visit with some clients and had dinner with the Mullings Director of Standards and Practices and, as happens at family dinners in Your Nation's Capital, we talked about politics. I said that I understood that Rick Perry had cancelled much of his schedule on Wednesday afternoon which told me he was going to be out of this thing before the debate last night.

Will ABC's interview of Marianne Ginrich matter in the South Carolina primary? Will Mitt Romney's wealth and "effective tax rate of 15%" hurt him in the Palmetto State? Will the endorsement of Rick Santorum by key Evangelical leaders over the past weekend in Texas swing him crucial support on Saturday?

The best part about the campaign trail is the places you go and the people you meet. This week, we are in South Carolina, and I am thrilled to be back in the Palmetto State. I graduated from Presbyterian College, located in Clinton, live across the state line in Georgia and feel very at home here.

The Beatles once rocked America with their cover version of “Money (That’s What I Want).” Today, I’ll rock you with my version. Capitalism don't get everything it's true. What it don't get I can't use. Now gimme capitalism (that's what I want).

Mitt Romney, fresh from victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, continues to attack President Obama and focus on how he has the business background to..."get America working again." But he can thank the Wall Street Journal, an angry Newt Gingrich, and opposition research for testing the mettle of the man early!

The presidential nomination usually goes to the individual who wants it the most. Gingrich is now acting and spending like he really wants the job. But Romney has been doing the same for four years. The real question is whether a guy who got his act together in the 11th hour can defeat a man who has been ready for years. The answer will come in a real, live big primary ... South Carolina.

Part of the joy of a presidential campaign is visiting different parts of the country. This past week was New Hampshire week. I've been to New Hampshire about a half-dozen times. It's a beautiful state. Mountains, ocean, beautiful forests and normally snow this time of year. However, we were snowless.

At the 757th Republican debate over the weekend, Newt Gingrich zinged Mitt Romney for attempting to portray his decision to forego a re-election race in Massachusetts as reluctance to become a lifetime politician.